RRosternomics
Chris Young

Chris Young

★ active

Born Sep 5, 1983 · Houston, TX · age 42

A former All-Star pitcher who became the Texas Rangers' head of baseball operations and assembled the club's first World Series champion in 2023 through aggressive free-agent spending.

6 seasons with salary-era data across 1 stint. All figures are franchise-level outcomes during the tenure, not solely attributable to one executive.

Overview

Titles1
Pennants1
Playoffs1
Record426–481
Win %0.470
-1.4GM WAR — wins above a replacement GM (org-adjusted, shrunk; per season) ±5.7112th/195 execs
5.8Depth — 2+ WAR regulars per season (the breadth that drives TAB, not stars)121st/195 execs
-5.2Dead WAR — WAR/yr bled by sub-replacement players (closer to 0 = better)105th/195 execs
31%Dead money — payroll on <0.5-WAR players (lower = better)67th/195 execs
$34MCheap-talent surplus — $/yr of value from cost-controlled (pre-arb/arb) players above their pay; the selection engine, and the stickiest GM skill we track35th/195 execs
$3MDrafted surplus — cheap-talent surplus from his own draftees (the develop-from-the-draft engine)133rd/195 execs
$12MTraded-for surplus — cheap-talent surplus from cost-controlled players he acquired via trade37th/195 execs
$1MInt'l surplus — cheap-talent surplus from his own international signees83rd/195 execs
-17.8TAB — talent above budget — roster-construction alpha (talent your budget bought above expectation), tenure total138th/195 execs
-35.9WAB — realized wins (TAB + the non-repeatable luck of converting talent to wins)169th/195 execs
1.93Acquisition Leverage — playoff pts per acquired WAR, graded once in the year each deal's wins arrive (the repeatable decision skill)85th/195 execs
-317Roster surplus $M175th/195 execs

Tenure breakdown

TeamRoleYearsSzns WAB WAB/yr TAB WAR surp HG Trade FA R5 AcqLev W-L% POPenWS Surp $M
Rangers POBO/GM 2021–present 5 -35.9 -7.18 -17.8 -75.2 +31.3 +3.4 +46.9 -0.1 1.93 0.470 111 -317
Career total (1985+ data) 6 -35.9 -17.8 -75.2 +31.3 +3.4 +46.9 -0.1 1.93 0.470 11 1 -317

Roster Construction

How the roster was sourced

Share of acquired fWAR by channel vs. league average.

Build channels — net fWAR

Acquired minus surrendered / signed minus walked.

Home-grown (draft/intl)+31.3
Trade+3.4
Free agency+46.9
Rule 5 / minor draft-0.1
Sourcing mix: 27% draft · 65% FA · 8% trade · 0% R5

Roster value distribution — career average — depth vs. stars

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR, averaged across Chris Young's seasons. Bars = his rosters; the black line = the league-average player at each slot. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge.

Players acquired — 119 players, by realized fWAR for the franchise (scroll for more)

PlayerPosTeam How Year Szns fWAR WAR/yr Lev
Corey Seager SS TEX Free agency 2021 5 +20.0 +4.0 1.3
Marcus Semien 2B/SS TEX Free agency 2021 4 +17.3 +4.3 1.3
Adolis García OF TEX Trade 2021 4 +11.1 +2.8 0.1
Nathaniel Lowe 1B TEX Trade 2021 4 +10.8 +2.7 0.0
Nathan Eovaldi P TEX Free agency 2022 4 +10.3 +2.6 14.2
Wyatt Langford OF TEX Draft 2024 3 +8.7 +2.9
Jacob deGrom P TEX Free agency 2022 4 +7.6 +1.9 8.6
Josh Jung 3B TEX Draft 2022 5 +7.6 +1.5
Jonah Heim C TEX Trade 2021 3 +7.0 +2.3 0.0
Jon Gray P TEX Free agency 2021 3 +4.9 +1.6 0.6
Dane Dunning P TEX Trade 2021 3 +4.6 +1.5 0.0
Josh Smith 3B/SS TEX Draft 2022 3 +4.5 +1.5
Ezequiel Duran 3B TEX Draft 2022 5 +4.2 +0.8
Evan Carter OF TEX Draft 2023 4 +3.8 +1.0
Andrew Heaney P TEX Free agency 2022 2 +3.3 +1.7 6.8
Jack Leiter P TEX Draft 2024 2 +2.6 +1.3
Mitch Garver C/DH TEX Trade 2022 2 +2.4 +1.2 0.1
Tyler Mahle P TEX Free agency 2023 2 +2.1 +1.1 0.2
MacKenzie Gore P TEX Trade 2026 1 +2.1 +2.1 8.0
Patrick Corbin P TEX Free agency 2025 1 +1.9 +1.9 2.4
Kirby Yates P TEX Free agency 2023 1 +1.9 +1.9 1.7
Cody Bradford P TEX Draft 2023 2 +1.8 +0.9
David Robertson P TEX Free agency 2024 1 +1.8 +1.8 1.6
Jordan Montgomery P TEX Trade 2023 1 +1.6 +1.6 9.7
Kumar Rocker P TEX Draft 2024 3 +1.5 +0.5
Shawn Armstrong P TEX Free agency 2024 1 +1.4 +1.4 1.8
Josh Sborz P TEX Trade 2021 4 +1.4 +0.4 0.0
Brandon Nimmo OF TEX Trade 2026 1 +1.4 +1.4 5.6
Matt Moore P TEX Free agency 2022 2 +1.3 +0.7 0.0
Kyle Higashioka C TEX Free agency 2024 2 +1.2 +0.6 1.3
Will Smith P TEX Free agency 2023 1 +1.1 +1.1 6.2
Hoby Milner P TEX Free agency 2024 1 +1.0 +1.0 1.3
Travis Jankowski OF TEX Free agency 2023 1 +0.9 +0.9 6.6
Dennis Santana P TEX Trade 2021 2 +0.9 +0.4 0.0
Jake Burger 1B/3B TEX Trade 2026 1 +0.9 +0.9 3.8
Tyler Alexander P TEX Free agency 2025 1 +0.8 +0.8 3.5
Jakob Junis P TEX Free agency 2026 1 +0.8 +0.8 3.2
Merrill Kelly P TEX Trade 2025 1 +0.8 +0.8 1.0
Robert Garcia P TEX Trade 2024 2 +0.6 +0.3 0.7
Peyton Gray P TEX Draft 2026 1 +0.6 +0.6
Max Scherzer P TEX Trade 2023 2 +0.6 +0.3 6.6
Charlie Culberson 3B/OF TEX Trade 2021 1 +0.6 +0.6 0.0
Mark Mathias 2B/OF TEX Trade 2022 1 +0.6 +0.6 0.2
Phil Maton P TEX Trade 2025 1 +0.6 +0.6 0.8
Robbie Grossman OF TEX Free agency 2023 2 +0.5 +0.2 2.7
Aroldis Chapman P TEX Trade 2023 1 +0.5 +0.5 2.6
Nicky Lopez 2B/SS TEX Trade 2026 1 +0.5 +0.5 2.1
Meibrys Viloria C TEX Free agency 2021 1 +0.4 +0.4 0.2
Cole Winn P TEX Draft 2024 2 +0.4 +0.2
Elías Díaz C TEX Trade 2026 1 +0.4 +0.4 1.5
Jharel Cotton P TEX Trade 2021 1 +0.4 +0.4 0.0
Matt Festa P TEX Trade 2024 1 +0.4 +0.4 0.4
Michael Helman OF TEX Trade 2025 1 +0.4 +0.4 0.8
Justin Foscue 2B/DH TEX Draft 2024 1 +0.3 +0.3
John Hicks C/1B TEX Free agency 2021 1 +0.3 +0.3 0.0
Garrett Richards P TEX Free agency 2022 1 +0.3 +0.3 0.1
Drew Anderson P TEX Free agency 2021 1 +0.2 +0.2 0.0
Caleb Boushley P TEX Free agency 2024 1 +0.2 +0.2 0.3
Cole Ragans P TEX Draft 2022 1 +0.2 +0.2
Yerry Rodríguez P TEX Draft 2022 2 +0.2 +0.1
Jacob Webb P TEX Free agency 2024 1 +0.2 +0.2 0.3
Michael Lorenzen P TEX Trade 2024 1 +0.2 +0.2 0.2
Carson Kelly C TEX Trade 2024 1 +0.2 +0.2 0.2
Derek Hill OF TEX Trade 2024 1 +0.2 +0.2 0.2
Dustin Harris OF TEX Draft 2024 1 +0.1 +0.1
Joc Pederson DH/OF TEX Free agency 2024 1 +0.1 +0.1 3.5
Dallas Keuchel P TEX Trade 2022 1 +0.1 +0.1 0.0
Austin Hedges C TEX Trade 2023 1 +0.1 +0.1 0.4
Chris Stratton P TEX Trade 2023 1 +0.1 +0.1 0.5
Matt Duffy 3B TEX Trade 2024 1 +0.1 +0.1 0.1
Shaun Anderson P TEX Trade 2024 1 +0.1 +0.1 0.1
DJ Peters OF TEX Trade 2021 1 +0.1 +0.1 0.0
Tucker Barnhart C TEX Free agency 2024 -0.0
Marc Church P TEX Draft 2024 1 -0.0 -0.0
Gavin Collyer P TEX Draft 2026 -0.0
Glenn Otto P TEX Trade 2021 2 +0.0 +0.0
Cal Quantrill P TEX Free agency 2025 1 +0.0 +0.0 0.1
Daniel Robert P TEX Draft 2024 -0.0
Jesús Tinoco P TEX Free agency 2021 1 +0.0 +0.0 0.0
José Ureña P TEX Free agency 2024 1 +0.0 +0.0 0.0
Hunter Wood P TEX Free agency 2021 -0.0
Jordan Lyles P TEX Trade 2021 1 -0.0 -0.0 0.0
Jarred Kelenic OF TEX Trade 2026 1 +0.0 +0.0 0.2
Nick Ahmed SS TEX Free agency 2025 -0.1
Carter Baumler P TEX Trade 2025 -0.1
Sandro Fabian OF TEX Draft 2024 -0.1
Gerson Garabito P TEX Draft 2024 1 -0.1 -0.1
Sam Haggerty OF TEX Free agency 2025 1 -0.1 -0.1 0.3
Ian Kennedy P TEX Free agency 2021 1 -0.1 -0.1 0.0
Alex Speas P TEX Draft 2023 -0.1
Rowdy Tellez 1B TEX Free agency 2025 1 -0.1 -0.1 0.5
Steele Walker OF TEX Rule 5 2022 -0.1
Jared Walsh 1B TEX Free agency 2024 -0.1
Luis Curvelo P TEX Draft 2025 1 -0.2 -0.2
Elier Hernandez DH/OF TEX Draft 2022 -0.2
Brock Holt 2B/3B/OF TEX Free agency 2021 -0.2
Billy McKinney OF TEX Free agency 2025 -0.2
Jonathan Ornelas 3B/SS TEX Draft 2023 -0.2
Bubba Thompson OF TEX Draft 2022 1 -0.2 -0.2
Owen White P TEX Draft 2023 -0.2
Jalen Beeks P TEX Free agency 2026 -0.3
Danny Jansen C TEX Free agency 2025 -0.3
J. P. Martínez OF TEX Draft 2023 -0.3
Davis Wendzel 3B TEX Draft 2024 -0.3
Jose Corniell P TEX Draft 2025 -0.4
Cody Freeman 2B/OF TEX Draft 2025 -0.4
Greg Holland P TEX Free agency 2022 -0.4
Andrew McCutchen OF TEX Free agency 2026 -0.4
Austin Pruitt P TEX Free agency 2024 -0.4
Hyeon-jong Yang P TEX Draft 2021 -0.4
Sandy León C TEX Free agency 2023 -0.5
Alejandro Osuna OF TEX Draft 2025 -0.5
Andrew Knizner C TEX Free agency 2024 -0.6
Mike Foltynewicz P TEX Free agency 2021 -0.7
Spencer Howard P TEX Trade 2021 -0.8
Grant Anderson P TEX Draft 2023 1 -0.9 -0.9
Kohei Arihara P TEX Draft 2021 -0.9
Kole Calhoun OF TEX Free agency 2021 -1.3
Brad Miller SS TEX Free agency 2022 -1.3

WAB = wins above what the team's payroll predicted (resource-controlled). WAR surplus = era-neutral value (WAR minus payroll in win-equivalents). Roster surplus $M = dollar value of WAR over cost. Build channels (realized fWAR): HG = home-grown via amateur draft / international signing; Trade = acquired minus surrendered (incl. purchases/waivers); FA = signed minus walked; R5 = Rule-5 / minor-league-draft pickups. Credit follows the acquisition year — home-grown to the regime at the player's draft/signing (not whoever was in the chair when he peaked), trade/FA/R5 to the GM who made the move. Players acquired as prospects before debuting (e.g. Smoltz, Bagwell; Rule-5 picks like Uggla) are counted as trade/R5, not home-grown. All are franchise-level outcomes during the stint, not solely attributable to one executive.

Graphs

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